


Rescue on Stygeon Prime

by BarbaraFett



Series: The Continuing Adventures of Anakin Skywalker, Guardian Spirit [4]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Force Bond (Star Wars), Force Ghost Anakin Skywalker, Force Ghost Obi-Wan Kenobi, Force Ghosts, Gen, Jedi Training, Master & Padawan Relationship(s), Post-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Prison, The Dark Side of the Force, Wakes & Funerals, X-Wing(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-27 07:37:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12576880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarbaraFett/pseuds/BarbaraFett
Summary: When Ahsoka Tano uses her newfound freedom as a Force spirit to explore obscure corners of the galaxy, Anakin Skywalker will have to confront a nearly-forgotten piece of the Sith's legacy of darkness.





	Rescue on Stygeon Prime

Having Ahsoka's companionship as a fellow Force spirit is a delight. The strength of our Force bond has been renewed, but it's different now. After she left the Temple, she went on to become a true hero in her own right (she is, after all, one of the _very_ few people who dueled with Darth Vader and lived to tell the tale), so she is now a peer, rather than a student. It reminds me of the way my bond with Obi-Wan felt different after I was declared a Knight; strange to experience that transition from the opposite perspective, especially after all this time.

Although she is enjoying her rest as much as any of us, not even death has diminished her enthusiasm for protecting all that is good, nor for visiting new worlds. At one moment, something catches her attention - she senses the power of the Dark Side at work to keep someone imprisoned. She speeds away across the infinite cosmos with a strong sense of purpose, seeking the place where the darkness is concentrated.

 _"Ahsoka!"_ I call out to her through our bond. _"Where are you going?"_ I chase after her, following the brilliance of her presence until it leads me to a small room - no, a _cell._ A duracrete prison cell. It is empty except for the shelf along the back wall, the small holoprojector attached to the wall above the door, and the humanoid-sized vacuum chamber that stands upright in one corner. The chamber has a small, transparent window in the front, revealing the sunken, grey face of the long-dead body preserved within. There are ethereal chains made of a dimly-glowing, seething red energy wrapped around and around the outside of the chamber - they are a manifestation of the power of the Dark Side. Anyone who was Force-sensitive could feel its cold presence, but to us spirits, its chains are clearly visible.

A realization hits me like a wave of ice water. _I've been here before. I helped entomb her._ So much happened so quickly during those first few days and months after the fall of the Republic that I'd forgotten about this particular lesson, until just now. _My Master would be so disappointed in me - wait, what am I thinking?! He's been dead for thirty-two years. And he's not my Master anymore._

Fresh anger and disgust well up at this train of thought, and Ahsoka senses my distress and sends me a warm feeling of concern. "Anakin... what is it?" she says.

"Ahsoka, this is a trap," I say. "Or was. Don't tell me you fell for it, too."

"What are you talking about?"

"Do you recognize this woman's presence? Concentrate for a second. You met her a few times during the Clone Wars."

She does so. "Master Unduli," she says. "I thought it was her. I was trying to sense whether there were any other spirits that we didn't know of yet. I thought I sensed something here, so I came to check it out. What in the galaxy _happened_ here? It's so _dark_ in this room. Literally and metaphysically. I had no idea you could use the Dark Side to bind a spirit to a place like this."

"Oh, yes. It's an ancient Sith technique. I was first introduced to it when I saw her bound here. I'm glad you sensed it and came to investigate. Now we have the chance to make this right."

Ahsoka nods. "How was this trap set?"

"Right after the Republic fell -" I stop and think for a moment. "You know, I never _did_ learn that guy's real name. Not that he would have told me, anyway; he _was_ an ex-Temple Guard. And he wasn't a true apprentice, so I never bothered to give him another one, either. He was known only as 'The Grand Inquisitor.'"

"There was a Temple Guard who survived the attack?" Ahsoka is surprised to learn this.

"One who decided that if he couldn't beat us, he was going to join us," I say darkly. "That was how the Inquisitor program got started. Anyway. Right after the Republic fell, my Ma - _Palpatine_ brought both of us here so he could demonstrate one of the more esoteric uses of the Dark Side. We all gathered in this cell, where Master Unduli was being held, and... he electrocuted her to death in front of us. She wasn't even armed. Then he made me and the Inquisitor put her body in that vacuum chamber, so it would be preserved, and move it into that corner. When we were finished, he did... well..." I wave at the red chains. "That. Bound her Force presence to the location where she was entombed, against her will. And as if that weren't evil enough, he used her to set a trap. He set up that holoprojector up there to make it look like she was still alive. The idea was that any surviving Jedi who heard rumors that she was being held here would come and try to rescue her. They would sense her presence and be fooled into thinking she was still alive, only to be imprisoned in this cell themselves and executed by the Inquisitor. It worked, many times."

Ahsoka reaches out to comfort me. I appreciate the fact that she grew up to be nearly as tall as me, and can easily place her arm around my shoulders. "That's awful," she says. "But we're here now, and you're right - we _can_ make this right. Let's rescue her for real."

"You haven't changed one bit," I say, smiling. "You're the best."

"Thanks." She looks thoughtfully at Master Unduli's sarcophagus, and pulls at the chains with her telekinesis, trying to find a weak link, but there are none. The chains shift, but do not break.

"I have an idea," I say. I draw my new, ethereal copy of my old lightsaber, and use it to slice through the glowing red chains. They fall away from the sarcophagus and vanish into smoke.

"Whoa!" Ahsoka says. "Awesome! Hey, how come you get a lightsaber and I don't?"

"If you still know where your old ones are, you can get them back," I say. "Ask Obi-Wan about it later. He figured out how to do it."

"Oh. Okay. Hmmm..." Ahsoka steps forward and reaches into and _through_ the cover of the sarcophagus with both hands. A blue glow springs to life and intensifies around her, but then fades away, and she pulls back. "I think there's another kind of barrier in there," she says. "It feels like the Dark Side put up a deflector shield to keep the good guys out."

"That's a really good analogy," I say. "In fact, it's the same one Palpatine used. I think I remember how to disable it, but... you have to touch the Dark Side to do it. I haven't done that _voluntarily_ since... well, since I last fought with Luke. The last time I was pulled over into the Dark Side was when my grandson summoned me there. My friends reached out and helped pull me back into the Light. Would you do that for me after I get the shield down?"

"Yes, of course." She pours extra strength and encouragement into our bond.

"Okay. Here goes."

I allow myself to truly feel how much I _hate_ my now-former Master and everything he did, to the galaxy and to me. The power of the Dark Side flows easily around me and through me, quick to welcome me back. All at once, there's that red tint before my eyes, that all-encompassing burning sensation that I remember from when I visited and spoke with my grandson... even the faint, ghostly respirator sound. I must look like my old, armored, cyborg self again, just as I looked to him. I realize for the first time that even though I chose to reject this persona, it terrified so many people for so long that it left a powerful impression in the Dark Side of the Force. It is as if this suit of armor had been standing in the hallway of an abandoned castle, waiting for its owner to return and put it on again.

I push aside the guilt and self-hatred that accompany this revelation and focus on the mission. I've only stepped back over onto the Dark Side temporarily, and for a good reason: to undo the binding Dark energy that is keeping Luminara Unduli's spirit trapped in this sarcophagus. I remember the lessons my Master taught me when he put this seal in place. As I begin retracing his steps and reversing what he did, I am surprised to find another dark presence reaching out for my own - of course. It's my grandson, Ben. He is curious, eager to learn all he can about the power of the darkness. _"What's going on?"_ his mental voice asks.

 _"Nothing that concerns you, young one,"_ I answer before firmly engaging my mental shields - the telepathic equivalent of slamming a door in his face. The last thing the galaxy needs is for him to become even stronger in the Dark Side. Nevertheless, I instantly regret my show of anger toward him. Some other time, I will pay him another visit and try again to convince him that he, too, can turn back from his dark path.

I return my attention to the intricacies of the dark binding I'm working on. I find myself reaching into the sarcophagus, just as Ahsoka did. After a long moment of intense concentration, I feel the last of the dark power dissipate. I take a step back and quickly reach out for Ahsoka's presence. It is there, a bright beacon that helps me find my way back to the Light. I emerge from the shadows, the black armor vanishing once again as I return to my true self.

Ahsoka stares at me, wide-eyed, but relieved. "Did you know you could transform back and forth at will like that?" she says.

"I do now," I say. "So you _could_ see me as Darth Vader?"

"See, hear, and feel. Just like old times. It turned _cold_ in here when you changed. I'm so glad you're back on our side."

"Me, too. Thanks, Ahsoka. Your light made it easy to find my way back."

"You're welcome."

A wave of concern and a surge of strength hit me, accompanied by a mental voice. _"Anakin, what's going on?"_ It's Obi-Wan. _"You fell into the shadows again for a few minutes. Is everything all right?"_

 _"Everything's fine, Obi-Wan,"_ I answer. _"We're on a mission that required my... particular expertise."_ I grimace. _"In fact, we're in the middle of rescuing someone you might remember. Come check it out, if you want."_

 _"Oh, really?"_ Obi-Wan manifests in the cell alongside me and Ahsoka. "Where are we, and who are we rescuing?"

"We're in an old Imperial prison complex," I explain. "Our old friend Luminara Unduli was held here both before her death, by the troops, and after it, by Palpatine. He used his knowledge of the Dark Side to bind her spirit to this place. I had to take hold of it for a moment to undo what he did, but I think I'm all right now." I turn back to Ahsoka. "I did it. Try doing whatever you were doing again. It should work now."

Ahsoka nods and places her incorporeal arms back through the cover of the sarcophagus. The blue glow returns, this time brightening and surging out into the room. Ahsoka steps back, and the light coalesces into a vaguely humanoid form. Familiar facial features and long robes appear, and finally, slowly, Master Unduli opens her eyes.

"Do you remember me?" I ask her. "I'm Anakin Skywalker. I'm here to rescue you." The Force, for some reason, finds this amusing and sends me a brief mental image of my son.

"Yes, of course I remember you," Luminara says slowly. "What... What happened to me?"

"Well, what's the last thing you remember?"

"I remember... my own men turning on me... and then they brought me here, and the Sith came here... Wait a minute. Are we dead?"

"Well, you know what we always say about death and the Force," I answer, grinning. "Welcome home."

"But... I thought we weren't going to... you know, be conscious and talking to each other."

"That's what we all thought, but no. Turns out there is a way to preserve one's consciousness and self-awareness within the Force. We're so glad you had enough of it left to save." I turn to Ahsoka. "Nice work, Ahsoka. I'm impressed that you figured out how to do that."

"Thank you," says Ahsoka. "I'm glad to see you again, too, Master Unduli."

"Ahsoka?" Luminara says, looking around the room. "Ahsoka Tano? Wait - you can't be _Obi-Wan Kenobi?_ When did you have time to... How long have I been dead?"

"When did we have time to get old?" Ahsoka chuckles. "Master, the Clone Wars ended fifty-five years ago. And I was the only one of us who lived through all of those years."

"Then you... you two must have survived after the troops turned on you. But you didn't, Anakin? I would have thought you, of all people, would have had the luck to escape."

Oh, Sithspit. She _doesn't know._ For a moment, I cannot speak, but can only send out a wave of grief.

"I didn't exactly escape," I finally say. "In a way, I was taken prisoner, too."

"What are you talking about? What happened to you?"

"My own troops didn't turn on me... because I had turned on the Jedi myself. By the time the war ended, I was the newest, and last, Sith Apprentice."

She gasps. "That was... that was _you_ in that horrible armor? That _couldn't_ have been you!"

She's taking it better than Luke, not that that's saying much. "It was," I say. "You're now one of the very few people who know who was behind that mask. I'm so sorry, Luminara. For everything I did back then."

"What... How are you _here,_ then? I didn't think you could... turn back, after falling like that."

"You can. I had given up hope that I'd ever have the chance to break free from the Dark Side's control, until I did. I'm sorry for what we did to you, and to the galaxy, and I want to make it right." I indicate the vacuum-sealed sarcophagus. "As you may or may not know, this is very much the Sith way of interring a body. You deserve better than this. What would you say to us holding a Jedi funeral for you?"

"I would be honored. That's very kind of you, Anakin."

"Thanks. It seems like the right thing to do. Let's get this thing outdoors."

The electronic security controls for the cell have been disused and powered off for decades; with them disengaged, it's easy for me to use my knowledge of machines and my telekinesis to undo the mechanical part of the lock and push the door open. "Help me levitate this outside?" I say to Obi-Wan and Ahsoka.

"Of course," says Obi-Wan. "Lead the way." He, Ahsoka, and I coordinate our use of the Force to turn the sarcophagus to a horizontal position and get it moving down the corridor. I lead the way, and Luminara follows us.

"One problem here," Ahsoka says. "I saw you use your lightsaber to cut through the chains, but it didn't also cut through the lid. So I guess it can't affect physical objects?"

"That's right," I say.

"Then we don't have anything we can use to start a fire. How are we supposed to do that?"

I smile. "I might know someone who can help. Excuse me for a moment."

I reach out along one of my Force bonds to start a one-to-one conversation. _"Luke, are you there?"_

He responds almost immediately. _"Yes, Father?"_

_"I need to ask you for a favor."_

_"Of course. What is it?"_ His answer is tinged with curiosity and confusion about what favor a mortal could possibly do for a spirit.

 _"My friends and I have just recovered the remains of an old Jedi friend of ours,"_ I explain. _"She died during the purge, but she was only ever given a Sith burial. Meaning her body is still preserved. We want to give her a proper Jedi funeral, but we don't have any wood here, nor do we have any way of setting it on fire. I believe you have some expertise in this?"_

Luke sends the impression of laughter. _"Thank you for thinking of me, Father, but I'm afraid it's still too dangerous for me to travel. Maybe I could give this to Rey as a training mission?"_

_"That's a great idea! I'd be happy to see her again."_

_"All right, I'll send her to you as soon as I can. Where are you?"_

_"We're at the Spire, the old Imperial detainment facility on Stygeon Prime. Ask Artoo to look it up for you if you need coordinates."_

_"Got it. I'll send him along with Rey."_

_"Thank you very much, my son."_

_"You're welcome. May the Force be with you. Over and out."_

_"And also with you. Out."_

"What was all that about?" Obi-Wan asks me.

"Help is on the way," I say. "We're about to find out whether Luke's apprentice can set funeral pyres as well as he can."

"Rey is coming here?"

"Yes. It's a training mission for her. I contacted Luke and told him what we needed, and he's sending Rey and Artoo to help us out."

"That's good. She'll do fine."

"Who's Luke?" Luminara asks.

"My son," I say proudly. "He's a Jedi Master himself, now."

"You have a _son?_ "

"I could hardly believe it myself when I found out. But let me start at the beginning. You remember the First Battle of Geonosis, right?"

"Yes, of course."

"Well, as soon as it was over..."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As we make our way from the cell block up to the main landing platform, where we plan to meet Rey, I tell Luminara about my secret life with Padme during the Clone Wars, and that we had a son and a daughter who grew up to be just as compassionate and spirited as their mother. I could go on all day about their accomplishments, and I nearly do - we have time to kill while we wait for Rey to arrive, and we have no need of rest. My story leads into all of us catching our old friend up on galactic affairs since the end of the Clone Wars, and answering all her questions. 

Eventually, a tremor in the Force attracts my attention. Someone strong in the Force has just come out of hyperspace near Stygeon Prime. I reach out to her: _"Rey? Luke did teach you how to communicate with your thoughts, right? Do you read me?"_

 _"Yes,"_ Rey answers. _"I read you, Master Skywalker... er, I mean... What should I call you?"_

 _Oh, yeah - that's how she thinks of Luke..._ I am so intensely proud of my son that I forget all about the question for a moment.

 _"Please, just call me Anakin,"_ I answer. _"I'm going to use this means of communication to help you bring your ship in, all right?"_

_"Funny way to do that."_

_"It's the only way I can do it now. All you have to do is follow this signal and steer the ship down to where it's coming from. We're waiting for you on the Spire's landing platform."_

_"Copy that, Mas - Anakin."_

As Rey approaches our position, she invites me a little more deeply into her mind. Now, I can see what she sees and feel what she feels as she works the controls of the fighter she's piloting.

 _"This is Luke's old X-Wing, isn't it?"_ I ask.

 _"It is,"_ she says. _"He let me borrow it for this mission."_

 _"Thanks for inviting me in."_ I send the mental equivalent of a sigh. _"I miss piloting."_

 _"I thought you might,"_ Rey says. _"Master Luke says he always wanted to be as great a pilot as his father was."_

I smile wistfully. _"If you ask me, he's better."_

A memory flashes into my mind - Flying down a narrow trench in my TIE, surrounded by turbolaser blasts. Trying and failing to lock on to this very X-Wing. My own artificially-augmented voice remarking, "The Force is strong with this one."

I try to push the dark memory away before Rey can perceive it - too late. _"Yes - he told me about that,"_ says Rey. _"You should hear him tell that story, it's amazing."_

_"I'm sure. I'm sorry you had to see that, Rey."_

_"No, it's all right. I'm not afraid. You were a great pilot, no matter what else you may have been."_

My joy overflows the link between us. _"Thank you. You're so much like Luke, it's incredible."_

_"Why that memory, in particular?"_

_"I like to think that was the exact moment when he surpassed me as a pilot."_

The X-Wing has now reached final approach; the Spire is now in Rey's line of sight. I send her a mental nod and quiet my connection to her, returning my awareness to the landing platform. When she lands and disembarks, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, Luminara, and I are all waiting for her.

Rey climbs out of the cockpit, dressed in brand-new, traditional Jedi robes in earth tones that perfectly complement her hair and skin. "You look lovely, Rey," says Obi-Wan.

"Thank you, Master Kenobi," she says. "We were going to save them for our first official mission together, but Master Luke said I should dress for the occasion."

"He's a wise man. This is his old fighter, too, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is."

Obi-Wan seems lost in his own memories for a moment. "I hope you get back to him soon, and without getting yourself into any trouble."

"I will. Come on, Artoo." Artoo raises himself up out of his socket, and Rey gently lifts him down onto the landing platform with the Force. He beeps and chirps indignantly, then gives a low whistle of relief when he lands.

"Oh, come on, Artoo," I say. "Aren't you used to this by now?"

"He can't hear you," Obi-Wan says. "Only other Force-sensitive sentients can see or hear us."

"Oh," I say. "That's a shame. Rey, tell Artoo thanks for getting you here."

"Thank you for getting me here, Artoo," Rey says. Artoo chirps and whistles happily.

"Thank you for coming," Luminara says to Rey. "You must be Rey. I'm Luminara Unduli." She bows, and Rey returns it.

"Pleased to meet you," says Rey. "And who's this?"

"Hello, Rey," says Ahsoka. "I'm Ahsoka Tano."

"Hello, Ahsoka. It's nice to meet you, too. So, who is it we're holding a funeral for?"

"Me," Luminara says. "I must say, it's _very_ strange to be watching my own funeral."

"You're only the second person to do it," I say. "Rey, are you ready to get started?"

"I am," says Rey. "How are we going to go about this?"

"We'll help you get the funeral pyre arranged, but you get to light it. Okay?"

"All right."

Rey goes to open a hatch on the underside of her borrowed X-Wing. What little storage space it affords has been completely filled with dried branches, logs, and sticks that must have come from the mainland of Ahch-To. Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, and I stretch out with the Force to help her with carrying the wood away from the X-Wing, but she takes the lead in the funeral pyre with confidence. Clearly, Luke has taught her well, and she is eager to prove herself.

When that is done, we all gather around the sarcophagus, and I open the vacuum seal. Rey recoils for a moment, but regains her composure and gently lifts Luminara's body out. She reinforces her grip on it with her telekinesis, for fear that it might fall apart. When she has finished arranging the body on the funeral pyre, Artoo chimes in, whistling a question to Rey.

"Yes, Artoo," she answers. "You get to help, too."

She returns to the X-Wing and removes a wooden torch that she must have prepared in advance - the same kind that Luke used. She holds the end of it out to Artoo, who uses his flamethrower tool to light the end of the torch on fire.

Obi-Wan smiles at this. "Anakin..." he says, "he may only be a droid, but... I'm sorry I ever criticized you for being too attached to him."

I chuckle. "You're forgiven, Obi-Wan."

Rey lights the funeral pyre with the torch. The flames leap up easily around Luminara's body, and I feel moved to speak.

"Luminara Unduli was a brave and wise Jedi Master who served with honor in the Clone Wars," I say. "What happened to her and so many of her fellow Jedi at the end of the war was a tragedy. Today, we have set right the wrongs that the Sith did to her at her death. We cannot undo all the evil that they did to the galaxy, but we can help teach others to oppose evil whenever it appears. We light this fire in the hope that Luminara, too, can be a light to the Jedi for generations to come." I smile warmly at Rey, then at Luminara.

"Thank you very much, Anakin," Luminara says. "That was very well said."

We all gaze meditatively into the fire. As I look around at this strange gathering of beings, I feel profoundly at peace with myself, the Force, and my companions. One more of the old wounds left by the Sith has been healed.

After a few minutes of silence, Rey turns to Luminara and asks her about what it was like to fight in the Clone Wars. They begin conversing in low voices about strategy, tactics, and trusting the Force. When the fire finally burns out, Rey prepares to return to Ahch-To to complete her training. Luminara, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, and I all stand and watch her go, seeing her off on the next part of her journey with well-wishes and our blessing - the same sentiments that Obi-Wan, Yoda, and I gave to Luke at Endor. Rey has done well today, and has given me hope that the Jedi will continue.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm happy that this is the second Halloween in a row that I've been able to come out with a new ghost story set in the Star Wars galaxy. :-)
> 
> This is the end of this story arc of this series. I will probably write more after I've seen _The Last Jedi._


End file.
